Shipping-crate.



Patented Aug. I5, I899.

' No. 63l,075.

A. E. HINMAN.

SHIPPING CRATE.

(Application filed Mar. 11, 1899.)

(No Model.)

flllllllllu'IlI-L vention.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

ARTI-IUR E. HINMAN, OF'SPARTA, MICHIGAN.

SHIPPING-CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,075, dated August15, 1899.

Application filed March 1 1, 1 8 9 9.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. HINMAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residin g at Sparta, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan,have invented a new and useful Shipping- Orate, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention is a new and useful construction of shipping-crateparticularly adapted for shipping fruits, the object being to provide aform of crate in which the fruit can be carried Without injury fromjarring and at the same time will be perfectly ventilated.

With these objects in view my invention consists, essentially, inproviding a rigid supporting-frame for the purpose of supporting andcontaining a flexible basket or receptacle in which the fruit iscarried, said basket or receptacle having alimited movement within therigid frame, thereby taking up any shock and preventing one basket orbox of fruit knocking against another.

The invention consists also in certain details of construction andnovelties of combination or arrangement, all of which will be fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of a crate constrnctedin accordancewith my in- Fig. 2 is a top plan View looking into the crate, the topbeing removed. Fig. 3 is an end View of the receptacle bent ready to fitwithin the rigid frame. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the flexible receptaclebefore being bent. Fig. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of one corner ofthe crate. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view showing in sections aslightly-modified form of construction.

In constructing a crate in accordance with my invention I employ two endposts A, which are connected by means of the bottom strips B and the endstrips (Eat the upper ends. A series of end slats D also connect thecorner-posts upon the other side, as most clearly shown in Figs. 1 and2.

The inner receptacle for carrying the fruit is composed of a series offlexible wooden strips E, arranged parallel, as shown, and connectedcentrally by means of a cross-strip E. The ends of said strips arefastened between the inner cross-strip E and the outer cross-stripE gthe outer strip being longer than the inner strip, as shown in Fig. 4,whereby the receptacle is fastened within the rigid frame, a corner-postbeing slitted vertically Serial No. 708,732. (No model.)

to receive the projecting ends of the end strips E thereby forming arest or support for the inner receptacle after the strips have beenbent, as shown in Fig. 3. By suspending the inner receptacle in thismanner or by constructing the same of flexible strips it will be clearlyunderstood that the said inner receptacle may have a certain limitedmovement within the frame, inasmuch as it does not extend to the bottomof said frame and is therefore free to swing back and forth within thesame, and in this manner it will take up the jar to which the crate issubjected, and thus save the fruit from injury.

It will thus be seen that I provide an exceedi'ngly cheap, simple, andconvenient construction and ventilating shipping crate,

thereby saving the fruit contained within the inner receptacle fromdamage.

The cover can be constructed in any suitable manner. I prefer toconstruct the same of slats, as most clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a shipping-crate the combination with a rigid frame comprising aseries of flexible strips connected at their ends by cross-strips, saidcross-strips being adapted to fit in the slits of the corner-posts, theend slats connecting the corner-posts and forming the ends of the innerreceptacle, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a shipping-crate the combination with a rigid frame, of a seriesof flexible strips U- shaped in cross-section connected at their ends bycross-strips E and E and transverse strips extending across the end ofthe rigid frame and the end U-shaped strips, substantially as described.

3. In a shipping-crate the combination with a rigid frame of a series offlexible strips connected at their ends to the cross-strips E and Ewhereby a swinging flexible receptacle is formed U shaped incross-section and flexible strips extending across the ends of the rigidframe and U-shaped receptacle, said crossstrips adapted to fit in theslits of the corner posts, substantially as described.

ARTHUR E. HINMAN.

Witnesses:

J. W. HALLAOK, FRA K W. PURDY.

